2006 BURGUNDY

Studded into the hillsides of the Côte d'Or like jewels set into the vertebrae of an exotic dancer, the villages of the Côtes de Nuits and Beaune nestle among the downy, bevined slopes and appear entirely comfortable with their environs.

The streets are more or less active depending on the time of day, the day of the week. Looking for somewhere to eat of a Wednesday lunchtime, one almost feels as though anthrax has beaten one to it and depopulated the entire region. At other times, a 20 minute journey down or up the RN74 - the main road running north-south through the Côte - feels like one's first outing in the two-seater, single engined Cessna and being suddenly engulfed, overtaken and thoroughly buffeted by the Red Arrows team on manoeuvres.

The full story of Bowes Wine's visit to Burgundy is described in daily blog postings at www.boweswine.blogspot.com. Those who haven't yet visited my new blog, shame on you! In any event, our week was (largely) spent under unusually clear skies and welcome mild temperatures. So what did we find? Well, what we actually found was something of a miracle…

After a hot July, August - normally the month that makes or breaks the quality of the vintage - was cold and miserable. September warmed up nicely and the fruit started ripening with increasing speed. The problem was humidity. Rot developed and spread quickly. As ever, those with vineyard management skill and experience could negate the effects of the humidity to a greater or lesser extent, otherwise it was a case of discarding a great deal of fruit to ensure that the finished wine was not tainted by the mould. To be honest, we tasted no rot whatsoever, perhaps because of the quality of the vignerons we visited!

The wines of 2006 are very mixed in style, more so than I remember any vintage. The question of when to pick was seldom so pertinent, as the fruit ripened in a rush. Leave it a day or two too long and all that one could make was low acid, fat wines some of which are, admittedly, very delicious, but certainly are not destined for a long incarceration in one's cellar.

Get it right, however, and the wine makers had the opportunity to make classic wines from both chardonnay and pinot fruit. These are fresh and intense. They have a great sense of identity: that elusive thing known as terroir. The purity of their fruit is a wonder to behold and put me rather poetically in mind of the best sort of stained-glass window with the winter sun angling through.

And it is these wines, of course, that we have selected for our offering.

The church at Prémeaux-Prissey in the sort of weather we enjoyed for much of our visit

GEVREY CHAMBERTIN

What do I look for in great Gevrey? Well, it's a wild sort of a wine, offering the sort of fruits not found in one's garden, unless one's garden happens to be a very laissez-faire sort of a place. Fruits sauvages should abound, both red and black. Plus there is often a smoky note, as of winter bonfires and this sometimes carries through to the wine in maturity.

DOMAINE DUPONT-TISSERANDOT

Didier Chevillon makes extraordinary wine. It's as simple as that. He has a quiet confidence about him and one taste of his wine, you'll know why. Gevrey is a much abused appellation and there is a great deal of dross produced there, but at its best the wine can be scintillating.

But I am wasting space here. If you really want to know what fine Gevrey is like - to have a taste of the essence of why this village is perhaps better known than any other in the Côte - buy and try from this source.

Didier Chevillon looks like the cat that got the cream…as would I if I’d made these 2006s

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2006	Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru La Petite Chapelle., Dupont-Tisserandot, Burgundy, France Notes: At its best, this vineyard produces a wine that has ravishing aromatics and Didier has managed to deliver this in a wine that offers rich aromas, at once fresh and very pure. There are concentrated notes of fresh cherries, red and black, with a lick of cassis. This is very pretty on the nose.   The palate offers the chance to experience that classic "peacock's tail" that one finds so rarely, but that denotes the highest quality; that is to say that it goes in the mouth and fans out, seeming to explore regions of one's molars undisturbed by brushing. The fruit is creamy and full of mineral terroir. There that cherry fruit again, finishing in a raspberry ripple twist. Rich tannins, okay, but very ripe: nutty. A complete wine and very fine.	2013-2021	6x75cl	£193.50
2006	Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers, Dupont-Tisserandot, Burgundy, France Notes: This is Didier's vin de maison, as he owns such a large area of the vineyard. In his cellar, it is tasted just before the Grands Crus.   Up against the nose, this sings in a clear, pure raspberry voice. There are some spices lurking. The palate is stupidly long. There are some serious tannins; at least more serious than in the Petite Chapelle. The wood has a glancing wink of chocolate about it and the finish is about the size of Saskatchewan. The fruit has great clarity and a delicious raspberry character.	2014-2024	12x75cl	£387.00
2006	Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru, Dupont-Tisserandot, Burgundy, France Notes: The nose is a liqueur-like mix of toasty wisps from the wood and damson and strawberry fruit; in other words quite delicious! The palate is very rich, rather floral and stuffed with structure and balanced tension. This is one mineral, juicy mouthful. Very young and a touch meaty 'round the edges. This is bristling with intent and with taut, medium acidity. Very, very, very, very, very long. Great grip here. Grand Cru wine, without a doubt.	2015-2026	12x75cl	£561.00
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CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY

Chambolle is, at best, a regal, elegant wine and should offer some suppleness of texture and structure. It lacks the wildness of character of its neighbour - Gevrey - to the north, but offers instead radiant - occasionally drop-dead-gorgeous - fruit. Many a burgundy expert would list Musigny Grand Cru as the greatest of all the Côte d'Or's wines.

M Digioia in his cellar

DOMAINE DIGIOIA-ROYER

M Digioia is an experimentalist. The visit we paid to his cellar was a lesson in the effects of oak barrels on wine and it was mind-boggling to discover how different coopers, differing toasts and varying source forests can affect the end wine.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2006	Chambolle-Musigny Les Fremiers Vieilles Vignes, Digioia-Royer, Burgundy, France Notes: N.B. Several cuvées of this wine were tasted from assorted casks which will be blended in vat and allowed to marry for some months before bottling. The following tasting note is an amalgam of my notes on the various casks.   The nose is richly fruity, surrendering aromas of black fruits and liquorice. There are animal notes with the violets, black cherries and small plums. The oak comes across in hints of milk chocolate and toast and aromas of the carpenter's shop. The palate is backward, juicy and long, the fruit of cherries (black and red), complicated by floral bits, is ripe and concentrated. Tannins here are nutty and ripe, the whole thing very long indeed. This is a keeper and very proper Chambolle.	2012-2019	12x75cl	£240.00
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These markings reveal the region of origin of the oak and the level of “toast”: how charred the barrel is internally

VOSNE-ROMANEE

Vosne is to Burgundy and pinot noir what Pauillac is to Bordeaux and cabernet sauvignon i.e. its aristocratic heart. The wines have a civility, a regal aspect and great purity. One often notices aromas and flavours of cassis and the other fruits one finds are of the kind grown in the Victorian kitchen gardens of vast country houses by gardeners with moustaches larger than your average ferret.

DOMAINE FRANCOIS LAMARCHE

François Lamarche is that rarest of things: owner of an entire Grand Cru vineyard in Vosne-Romanée (such vineyards are known as monopoles in French). The only other domaines I can think of to boast such luxury are the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (Romanée-Conti itself and La Tâche) and Bouchard Père (La Romanée). Lamarche's Grand Cru - La Grande Rue - didn't become GC until 1989, which is a curiosity, considering that it is sandwiched between La Tâche and Romanée-Conti i.e. the terroir is pretty pukka.

I will say, once again, that I love the style here. As at Rebourgeon-Mure in Pommard, these are pale wines and I always think good pinot should be pale in colour. The fruit itself has a thin skin and it is from the skins that the colouring matter is obtained.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2006	Vosne-Romanée Villages, François Lamarche, Burgundy, France Notes: There are floral notes and fresh aromas of black cherries and small plums. In the mouth, this is cool, medium weight, pretty and pure. The fruit is all damson and cherry and there's a dusting of fine, nutty tannins. This is mineral, fresh and nicely long. There couldn't be a better starting point for an examination of the great wines of Vosne-Romanée.	2009-2016	12x75cl	£252.00
2006	Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru Les Chaumes, François Lamarche, Burgundy, France Notes: This is deeper in colour than the village wine. The nose is deeper, too, and offers up concentrated black cherry and plum aromas. There's a touch of spice to this perfumed nose. The texture is fine velvet, then one notices the freshness and minerality. There is fine balance and real persistence to the palate here, as well as rich, masculine tannins. This is very long, with a fabulous finish. Really fresh wine.	2011-2018	12x75cl	£384.00
2006	Echezeaux Grand Cru, François Lamarche, Burgundy, France Notes: The fruit, as is often the case with Echézeaux, mixes red with the black: cherries and plums. Take a sip and the entry is rich and fluid and bathes the mouth in fruit of cherries and tangy plum skins. This is richly, chunkily tannic; long and mineral; parallel, even. There are hints of kernel to the fruit. Very fresh, with a fabulous finish.	2014-2022	12x75cl	£501.00
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Etienne Grivot plus a pipette and you know you are in for some fun

DOMAINE JEAN GRIVOT

I asked Etienne Grivot if he has yet met François Pinault - the owner of Château Latour, Gucci, the larger part of Christie's etc. etc., and recent purchaser of the Domaine Engel in Vosne-Romanée for the record sum of €13 million. The response from Etienne was affirmative. He's the sort of bloke that billionaire newcomers to the village would go and see. Why? Because he's about as fine a wine maker as you're likely to find in this neck of the woods.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2006	Chambolle-Musigny La Combe d'Orveau, Jean Grivot, Burgundy, France Notes: There's a delicious richness to the nose of this wine; an almost cake-like density to the red and black cherry fruit, along with a hint of gingerbread spice. The palate is fluid and rich and dotted with very fine tannins. Inside the fruit, all is fresh and crunchy. The cherry fruits are so fresh that they're probably still on the branch. I have clients who are addicted to this stuff. Hurry if you want some!	2012-2019	12x75cl	£267.00
2006	Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru Les Rouges, Jean Grivot, Burgundy, France Notes: This is an aromatic, almost perfumed wine, really red in the fruit: cherries and redcurrants. The fruit in the mouth is very cool and very red. There are quite firm tannins but they are fine and will integrate perfectly with ageing. This is very long; very intense at the back and has a fresh, fabulous finish.	2013-2020	12x75cl	£417.00
2006	Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, Jean Grivot, Burgundy, France Notes: Clos Vougeot always stands out from other wines in this range: the Nuits-St-Georges and Vosnes. It is much wilder; much more of an animal. The nose is smoky, meaty and sauvages and includes wild black fruits: plums etc. The palate is cool and very, very backward and pure. There is an abundance of minerals and a tautness and tension about the whole thing, lending real drama. Richly structured, feral, dangerous wine for long keeping. Drink with venison or similar.	2016-2025	12x75cl	£549.00
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NUITS-ST-GEORGES

The most famous town in the Côte d'Or. One of the Apollo missions gave the name St George to a crater on the moon, supposedly because they'd enjoyed a bottle of the wine the night before departure. The town became known as the City of Space as a result. Not that anyone calls it that, you understand.

What I find exciting about the appellation is the sheer diversity of terroir. From the far south, where are produced very earthy, mineral wines, to the far north, alongside the vineyards of Vosne from where much purer, less agricultural liquids emanate, Nuits is a complex lesson in the effects of soil, aspect etc. on the wine we end up drinking.

Christophe Drag pulling a sample

DOMAINE JEAN CHAUVENET

There are two cellars to visit if one wants to examine the complexities of Nuits soil without having to move: Robert Chevillon and this chap. “This chap” is actually Christophe Drag, Jean Chauvenet’s son-in-law and a young man with a great aptitude for wine making. He’s also a jolly good bloke. Seven 1ers crus here. Set those buds to “concentrate”!

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2006	Nuits-St-Georges Village, Jean Chauvenet, Burgundy, France Notes: There are distinct nutty overtones to the pure, black, bramble fruit. There are hints of spice, too. This is immediately backward and full of structure. There are rich, nutty, fine tannins and mineral touches. Fresh, long and vibrant in its plum and bramble fruit. A keeper; much more so than the 2003 which is drinking very well already.	2010-2017	6x75cl	£90.00
2006	Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Bousselots, Jean Chauvenet, Burgundy, France Notes: I have an affinity for this wine in this cellar. We have offered it before.   The nose is pure, fresh black cherry and there is a haze of smoke overlying. The entry is ripe and silken, but then the structure builds. There is a wealth of black fruit. Great control in this wine. The tannins are really quite serious and nutty; the shape in the mouth is fabulous. Highly grippy wine and very long with it. Pure black cherry fruit. A touch mineral. Complex and quite brilliant 2006 burgundy!	2013-2020	12x75cl	£300.00
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CHOREY-LES-BEAUNE

As noted before, lès means near. Chorey's on the wrong side of the tracks, being east of the N74, situated on the flat land amongst what are considered to be rather ignoble vineyards. And yet there are a few producers of note here and none more so than the one that appears below.

DOMAINE DU CHATEAU DU CHOREY-LES-BEAUNE

Benoit Germain makes the wine here and is a dab hand. His outpourings become ever more scintillating. He wasn't there when we visited, so we tasted the wines with his cellar master and Mme Germain. Benoit's wife seemed only too glad to be in the cellar, saying it was the first time she'd tasted the vintage.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2006	Pernand Vergelesses Les Combottes Vieilles Vignes, Château de Chorey-lès-Beaune, Burgundy, France Notes: A fascinating nose here of oaten, cereal aromas alongside the lemon and lime fruit. There is really dense, concentrated fruit on the palate, lemons and pears, a touch spicy. Backward and very, very mineral, with huge length. Seriously impressive for what should be a minor white. We've offered this before. It's what Parker would call a "sleeper". This and the Ladoix Blanc of Corton-André offer exceptional value.	2010-2016	12x75cl	£135.00
2006	Beaune 1er Cru Les Vignes Franches Vieilles Vignes, Château de Chorey-lès-Beaune, Burgundy, France Notes: Floral, small berry, very pretty nose of redcurrants. There is a touch of nut and, perhaps, strawberry. This has a cool and rather beautiful palate. It is richly mineral, parallel and very persistent. Rich, ripe tannins lend support. This is a really intense and red fruited Beaune. Fabulous stuff.	2011-2018	12x75cl	£264.00
2006	Beaune 1er Cru Teurons, Château de Chorey-lès-Beaune, Burgundy, France Notes: There's that rare violet aroma found here. Otherwise, I found raspberries. It is more masculine than other wines in the cellar, a little smoky, meaty, spicy: complex. The textures are all silk and velvet like a peer on his way to the House of Lords. Red and black cherry fruit. Richly tannic, mineral and grippy, with a masculine, meaty finish. Fresh and utterly complete and backward. Great Beaune!	2013-2022	12x75cl	£240.00
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ALOXE CORTON

There are these villages around Burgundy that, for one reason or another, lack something of the glamour of their neighbours. Chorey is one and, as discussed, may well have something to do with the fact that it's situated on the "wrong" side of the road. Pernand is another, its obscurity also having to do with its geographical location tucked, as it is, behind the Hill of Corton. Aloxe is another matter. It's a large village and plays host to some of the most iconic buildings in the Côte, none more so than that which appears below.

Vine prunings with the tiled roof of the Château de Corton-André in the background

DOMAINE DU CHATEAU DE CORTON-ANDRE

Pierre André was an interesting man. He bought the Château de Corton in 1927 and built up this extensive domaine. After WWII, he was awarded the Légion d'Honneur, not least because he set up a service to feed orphaned children in Paris during the war.

This estate suffered something of a grey period until recently, when investment and a new wine maker have signalled a massive sea change. The wines are now very exciting.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2006	Ladoix Blanc Les Boisvelles, Château de Corton-André, Burgundy, France Notes: This wine, from a monopole vineyard right below the château, offers extraordinary value. The vines are very old, resulting in great concentration in the wine. The nose, indeed, is very rich, ripe and concentrated. There are lemons to be found, hints of toast and a herbal, lime-like note. This is broad across the tongue and pleasingly tangy. It's more backward than the 2005 at the same stage. There are some earthy minerals and citrus, lemony acidity. Nicely long, too. It's all here!	2009-2012	12x75cl	£159.00
2006	Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Roi, Château de Corton-André, Burgundy, France Notes: N.B. The vines here are 70 years old. N.B.x2 I always feel confidence in a vineyard called Clos du Roi (there are a few in Burgundy). It implies that, sometime in the past, one king or other has liked the wine so much that he's bagged the vineyard for his own household.   There are notes of violet here and black cherry fruit. There is some spice and that includes liquorice root. Good dense aromas. A silky, dark, damson entry tees things up nicely for a mineral, compact follow-through. Great length; rich, nutty tannins. Very, very long and structured. This is a keeper if ever I've seen one…and a beautiful one at that.	2012-2018	12x75cl	£192.00
2006	Meursault Les Charrons, Château de Corton-André, Burgundy, France Notes: This is a lieu dit: not a premier cru, but such good terroir that it's worthy of its own name. This is a little toasty and there are aromas of nuts and lemons. It's a touch closed at the moment, but hey, all things come etc. Rich, fresh, lemony fruit right the way through. There are chalky minerals and real persistence to the palate. Lime flavours. There's really good intensity to the finish. Vibrant stuff, like a crystal.	2010-2014	12x75cl	£243.00
2006	Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Les Damodes, Château de Corton-André, Burgundy, France Notes: Damodes is a senior 1er cru vineyard of Nuits and situated on the border of Vosne. Fabulous nose here.   I got hints of cassis and notes of dried fruit: complex aromas, a touch floral. This is very rich, very fresh and tangy. There is a purity of black fruits and a bag-load of structure. The balance here is like that of a ostrich riding a uni-cycle. This just drives forward like a jouster's lance in a parallel, powerful thrust. I like this. It bristles with intent.	2014-2025	12x75cl	£324.00
2006	Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Champs Gains, Château de Corton-André, Burgundy, France Notes: Very classical Puligny nose of dried flowers (chamomile?), nut and dried minerals. The fruit is pear and lemon, very fresh. This zings about the glass like a trapped wasp. Concentrated stuff, with a lashing of dry mineral expression. There's lemon acidity that crackles around the back of the tongue. This is big and glitters like a newly forged blade. Fabulous finish is just one of its assets. Great stuff!	2011-2016	12x75cl	£471.00
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A limestone menhir in the Follin-Arbelet cellars and the ivy

that has grown down from above

DOMAINE FOLLIN-ARBELET

Frank Follin's what you'd call a bon oeuf, with a relaxed style. I like easy natured wine makers. It implies a confidence and suggests that they know exactly what goes where when it comes to transforming fine fruit into fine wine. The cellar here is clean, another good sign. The wines I like very much. They are multi-layered, serious, but not unsubtle. And they're serious keepers.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2006	Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Les Fichots, Follin-Arbelet, Burgundy, France Notes: Ripe, pure and rather beautiful concoction of a nose. There are sloes and blueberries, along with some black cherry. Very fresh fruit, a little peppery. The palate gives up rather pretty fruit, too, black and red, particularly cherry. This is very fresh, very mineral. There are some chunky, ripe tannins. Altogether long, nutty and rather backward. Please don't be put off just because of Pernand's slight lack of glamour. This is a wine for clever money.	2011-2018	12x75cl	£177.00
2006	Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Les Vercots, Follin-Arbelet, Burgundy, France Notes: Pure cherry fruit here, largely black. There are wisps of spice and flowers, too. Concentrated, rich fruit full of freshness and pure black fruits: fresh cherries and plums. The tannins are very rich, nutty and they coat the mouth. This is really quite powerful and very, very long; composed and full of grip. Better than many a Corton Grand Cru, in other words.	2014-2020	12x75cl	£252.00
2006	Romanée-St-Vivant Grand Cru, Follin-Arbelet, Burgundy, France Notes: Now don't get too excited. I have about as much of this liquid as a mosquito could suck blood from an anaemic, dehydrated hamster on a cold day. It was one of the wines of my trip, but I'd better keep that quiet. Hopefully the price will put people off…   A deep ruby purple colour leads the nose down into rich, black fruit, cassis and bramble. The nose is really creamy-rich and there's a hint of liquorice perhaps. Very cool, suave, concentrated palate. Rich, blackcurrant, mineral fruit. And there's that peacock's tail as the fruit spreads out in the mouth. The tannic support is not inconsiderable, but submerged by the fruit. Grippy and very, very long. Really solid at the end. Great wine!	2017-2025	6x75cl	£696.00
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PERNAND-VERGELESSES

Hidden from the view of all but the most determined tourists, Pernand lurks in a valley behind the Hill of Corton. One reason for visiting is the celebrated Michelin starred restaurant, Le Charlemagne. The other is, of course, to visit Domaine Bonneau de Martray (or Dubreuil-Fontaine, for that matter, from whom a Bourgogne Blanc appears on our drinking wine list).

DOMAINE DE BONNEAU DU MARTRAY

One needn't say too much about this estate, firmly installed in the Burgundy Premier League. Those who know the wine, buy it. Those who don't, should. The tasting here is hosted by Jean-Charles le Bault-de-la-Morinière, the owner, who speaks impeccable English and whose obsession is driving this domaine to ever greater heights. The wine is starting to look pretty reasonable value too.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2006	Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Bonneau du Martray, Burgundy, France Notes: N.B. This is the single biggest slab of Grand Cru vineyard under one ownership.   The nose of this 2006 is a delight: lovely, slightly perfumed, aromas of ripe pear, spice; hints of apples and cinnamon. This is beautifully concentrated, exhibiting rich fruit and expressive minerals. There is real lift and grip towards the end. Lovely ripeness. This is nutty and full of aristocratic terroir. Cool and very, very long. This is fabulous!	2013-2022	12x75cl	£576.00
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POMMARD

Drive south from Beaune and Pommard is the first village one encounters. Stop awhile. It is well worth a visit. There's a nifty little wine shop that sells a good range of wines from the appellation. And if one drops back down to the main road and heads slightly south, one finds the restaurant mentioned in my blog where we stopped for a light lunch and ended up distended like a boa after a gazelle snack.

Pommard wines can be big and scary, where the wild things are. If one's on the lookout for complex, rich, feral burgundy, stop here.

Daniel Rebourgeon and Caspar find happiness in a 2006 sample

DOMAINE REBOURGEON-MURE

How can one fail to like Daniel Rebourgeon. He's welcoming and believe me when I say that not everyone in Burgundy is. He makes a style of wine I like very much (properly delicate, expressive, pale-coloured pinot) and he charges ridiculously little for his produce. As I say, what's not to like?

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2006	Volnay Village., Rebourgeon-Mure, Burgundy, France Notes: This is a desperately pretty nose. I located floral, berry-ish aromas of redcurrants, cherries and that red liquorice that used to get stuck between one's teeth when one was a child. Nicely rich, nutty, easy fruit on this. There are some gentle, nutty tannins. Don't be taken in, however. There is subtle grip here and a wealth of red fruits. Very long. Excellent village wine.	2009-2016	12x75cl	£150.00
2006	Beaune 1er Cru Les Vignes Franches, Rebourgeon-Mure, Burgundy, France Notes: A real compote here. There's a hint of that liquorice again, some other spices and liqueur-like red fruit cocktail. Rich and succulent fruit with a linear freshness hidden within. This is very persistent, with that key parallel shape. Medium, ripe tannins and a fabulous lift at the end. Finish is out of sight.	2010-2017	12x75cl	£162.00
2006	Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Arvelets, Rebourgeon-Mure, Burgundy, France Notes: N.B. The exposure here is full south.   Lovely rich, ripeness of black, nutty fruit here. Here are plums and blueberries. Plump, plush entry. There's something glacé about the fruit. Then the freshness arrives. Rich, present, fine tannins. Good shape. Very long and complete. There's a wisp of smoke at the end. Lovely, lovely burgundy.	2012-2019	12x75cl	£210.00
2006	Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Charmots, Rebourgeon-Mure, Burgundy, France Notes: N.B. The vines here are 70 years old.    "Sloe black, crow black", to quote Dylan Thomas. Rich wild plums; rich sloe fruit. Very ripe. Black, rich fruit, but with excellent acidity. There are blueberries and sloes to this long and mineral mouthful. Flatteur. Delicious.	2012-2019	12x75cl	£222.00
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VOLNAY

Volnay is well worth a visit too. It's a pretty place, producing pretty wines. Could one compare Volnay and its neighbour Pommard (with which it is inextricably linked) to Chambolle and Gevrey in the Côtes de Nuits? Perhaps that would be rather fanciful. And yet both pairs are startling in the rapid volte face the terroir performs from one to the other. Like Chambolle, Volnay produces wines that are silky and pure and, for this reason, generally considered feminine. Gevrey and Pommard are altogether wilder animals, more often considered masculine in style. His 'n' her's.

DOMAINE JOSEPH VOILLOT

"Jean-Pierre Charlot promotes a brisk, athletically lean and often downright rapier style… If it sets you salivating to imagine the brightness, transparency and cut of Riesling in the medium of pinot noir…then do not miss this address." So stated David Schildknecht, writing in Robert Parker's publication, The Wine Advocate.

This wine ages like the dickens. I know this because Jean-Pierre regularly pulls out dusty bottles from the '60s and '70s when we visit.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2006	Pommard Village, Joseph Voillot, Burgundy, France Notes: This was a step up from the village Volnay in this cellar.   The nose is complex, black, with peppery aromas of meat and plum. Something lurks within. The palate is sizeable and rich, with nutty-rich tannins. The fruit is black, damson and small plum. This is fresh and really well integrated already. Very long. Very classically built Pommard.	2011-2016	12x75cl	£180.00
2006	Volnay 1er Cru Les Brouillards, Joseph Voillot, Burgundy, France Notes: There is a real wildness to the fruit on the nose here. There are meaty aromas of damsons and something else. I fancifully noted haws, as in hawthorn fruit. What was I thinking?!   I was getting on with enjoying my first sip of this wine. This is a cellar in which pretty much everything is enjoyable, after all. What made me sit up and start to blink was the finish on this wine. A complex amalgam of liquorice-tinted black fruit and rich, integrated, nutty tannins jabbed through with mineral notes blazed forward and simply exploded like one of those firework rockets known as a chrysanthemum. Dramatic, or what?	2014-2020	12x75cl	£288.00
2006	Volnay 1er cru Les Champans, Joseph Voillot, Burgundy, France Notes: There are slightly earthy notes of dusty fresh plums here, then concentrated aromas: a purity of the blackest cherries and damsons. There's a touch of tang to the black cherry initially, then fabulous, mouth-coating concentration. The peacock's in town again. Very, very long and really solid at the finish. High grip. Fabulous stuff.	2014-2020	12x75cl	£282.00
2006	Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens, Joseph Voillot, Burgundy, France Notes: The nose is instantly very fine. There are some wild bits in its aromas of haws (what, them again?) and rosehip. But then there's sweet, black plum, too. Silky, red and black fruit entry. This is complete, very composed, long and backward. Spicy and tangy and full of energy. Rugiens is about as close to a Grand Cru vineyard as one finds in Pommard. The class of the terroir is evident here.	2014-2022	12x75cl	£342.00
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A Bowes Wine pallet of the 2005 vintage ready to be shipped

MEURSAULT

This is the biggest village in the Côte, more of a town really. Enjoy a drive around the narrow streets and end up in the town square, which is hemmed in by restaurants. The church bell may well be tolling and a cat clambering around in the pollarded limes.

The outline of Meursault's skyline appears through the haze

DOMAINE PHILIPPE CHAVY

We've offered Philippe's wine before. I like the style. They are bold wines, unafraid of making a statement. They are very expressive of their origins, too.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2006	St Aubin 1er Cru Murgers des Dents de Chien, Philippe Chavy, Burgundy, France Notes: N.B. This vineyard is right on top of the slope where the soil thins out to almost nothing. It lies above the Grand Cru Chevalier-Montrachet of neighbouring Puligny.   A great, fresh nose here of lime fruit and dried lime flowers. And then those minerals. This is a touch creamy up front. Controlled; a very good shape. The minerals are chalky, the palate very long, the supporting acidity limy. Complex and great value.	2009-2013	12x75cl	£222.00
2006	Meursault Narvaux, Philippe Chavy, Burgundy, France Notes: There are hints of toast about the nose here. The fruit is all ripe pears, girt about with mineral scents. Rich, plush fruit in the mouth. This is peary, with thick concentration. There's medium acidity to the pear and lemon fruit. Long and with a fabulous, complex finish.	2010-2014	12x75cl	£246.00
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Mme Boyer should be looking happier,

given the quality of the wines here

DOMAINE BOYER-MARTENOT

A new domaine to us. Here's a quote from The Great Domaines of Burgundy by Remington Norman:
"…Yves Boyer is making excellent wines, thoughtfully put together with real depth and complexity. This is a fine source of Meursault." It was a fine visit. I liked the wines very much.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2006	Meursault Village, Boyer-Martenot, Burgundy, France Notes: Really rich nose here, ripe, with mandarin fruit and a mineral hint. The palate offers very rich, concentrated fruit of lemon and pear. The whole thing is well controlled, with excellent shape. Medium acidity, a touch nutty. Quite a powerful wine. There are more minerals on the very long finish.	2010-2015	12x75cl	£168.00
2006	Puligny-Montrachet Reuchaux, Boyer-Martenot, Burgundy, France Notes: This is much more "square" than the Meursaults that we tasted before it; more measured and controlled. There are aromas of pears and dry minerals and angelica. The aromas are dense and hint at nuts. Nutty-rich, concentrated pear fruit with sandy minerals. There is great grip here and good freshness and a flavour reminiscent of oyster shells. Spice, too. Plus that big, serious finish. Very proper Puligny.	2011-2016	12x75cl	£219.00
2006	Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières, Boyer-Martenot, Burgundy, France Notes: This is a great deal more restrained, more backward. It is mineral rich and touched by floral melon and pear fruit. Hint of fennel? And a little toast. The fruit is really quite solid in the mouth, with concentrated, fluid fruit and fine-grained minerals. Solid grip at the back and fine lift at the very end. A chunky wine of real intensity. There is subtlety here, too, however. I like this a great deal.	2012-2018	12x75cl	£360.00
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DOMAINE MICHELOT MERE ET FILLE

Véronique Michelot is something of a wild child, although child is perhaps the wrong description. She dresses in a bohemian manner, has a stud in her front tooth and flirts outrageously with visitors. This doesn't prevent me from being entirely unbiased in my analysis of her wines, however, which are brilliant!

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2006	Meursault Tillets, Domaine Bernard-Bonin, Burgundy, France Notes: The nose is a little unfinished, but rich and concentrated, with dried flowers and lemon and lime fruit. This is highly concentrated, with a rich, parallel fruit profile including lime and pear. There's real follow-through and great intensity here. All-in-all a juicy, mineral and very, very long wine.	2011-2015	12x75cl	£252.00
2006	Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières, Domaine Bernard-Bonin, Burgundy, France Notes: Very complex nose of dried flowers (I often find chamomile in the wines of Folatières), minerals and lemon fruit. Nutty bits as well. This is rich, but solid and highly structured, with real lemon freshness. Very backward and compact and parallel. This is one very, very determined wine and quite brilliant with it.	2012-2017	12x75cl	£450.00
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CHASSAGNE MONTRACHET

Puligny is cock-of-the-rock in reputation terms in the whites of the southern Côte de Beaune, but in my view Chassagne has a varied terroir at least as interesting. The minerality tends to be earthier, the wines less “square”. At best they’re a fascinating lesson in what vine roots get up to way underground.

GUY AMIOT ET FILS

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2006	Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers, Guy Amiot, Burgundy, France Notes: There is such clarity and focus to the nose here, which throws out aromas of apple, pear and white currant. There are minerals, too, a touch of toast from the wood and a herbal fennel hint. There’s immediately rich, concentrated pear fruit in the mouth but this is really restrained overall. A complete wine. A tub of minerals and fresher acidity than some of the other wines in this cellar. Okay, so there’s a hint of the tropical about it, but the persistence and follow-through are hard to argue with. A fabulous finish rounds it off nicely.	2011-2016	12x75cl	£252.00
2006	Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets, Guy Amiot, Burgundy, France Notes: As ever, this is a very different animal. There’s crunchy, crisp pear fruit on the nose and reserved mineral chalky bits. It’s a fine nose, above all. The palate is loaded with minerals right from the off. The cool apple-y fruit is shot through with profound mineral expression. No doubt the root of the vines are way down deep, licking at some ancient geology. This is a really solid, concentrated wine; long; very persistent. There’s a hint of pepper at the very back. Fine stuff.	2011-2017	12x75cl	£264.00
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